Adultery
by Cress
Summary: Joey:Chandler slash, featuring Monica and Don.
1. A Moment of Weakness

This story occurs in some vague future time, and involves Monica's soul mate Don, who appeared in episode 816, The One Where Joey Tells Rachel. Yes, both Monica and Chandler claimed to not believe in soul mates in that episode, but Janice once claimed that she and Chandler were soul mates, and he didn't contradict her. Monica also called Chandler her soul mate in her wedding vows, so they are actually ambivalent about soul mates.  
  
  
  
  
  
After an increasingly frustrating year of trying to conceive with Chandler, Monica got a pleasant surprise one evening, when Don dined at her new restaurant and asked to compliment the chef. They immediately recognized each other, and started talking like old friends about all that had changed since he had stopped dating Phoebe. Their conversation also turned to gourmet food, and Monica enjoyed someone being excited about and interested in her career for once. Long after Don left, she kept smiling to herself.  
  
Don started coming by regularly, and soon they spent time away from her restaurant as well, meeting for coffee or for long walks around the city. It was a nice break for Monica from all the recent tension and fights at home, and Don was so easy to confide in.  
  
One night, as they strolled down a sidewalk and swapped childhood stories about themselves, they stopped on a street corner to wait for the traffic. Don looked at her in the light of street lamps, and suddenly his laughter faded.  
  
She met his eyes and realized that they were holding hands.  
  
"I love you," he whispered.  
  
She swallowed and answered quietly, "You know I'm married."  
  
"I know." He let go of her hand and glanced away. "I'm sorry. A moment of weakness. Won't happen again, I promise."  
  
She shook her head sadly. "I, um, I can't see you anymore. I've gotta, I've gotta go." She turned and ran off without even saying goodbye.  
  
He watched her go, then stared up the sky and asked the heavens why he couldn't have met her sooner, before her marriage. Then he shivered against the cold, and whispered to himself, "Goodbye, Monica."  
  
Suddenly he felt somebody crash into him, and found that it was Monica, coming back to embrace him. She had tears in her eyes and she kissed him. They clung to each other on that lonely street corner and didn't know what to do. 


	2. The Discovery

Chandler believed that his wife had been working more late hours at her restaurant simply to avoid him, and not that she was running to somebody else's arms. Hoping to make a big gesture of apology and reconciliation, Chandler came over to her restaurant with flowers, only to discover that Monica wasn't there, and that she in fact had stopped working during the nights weeks ago.  
  
Stunned by the lie, Chandler threw the flowers away and wandered off numbly. When he could think again, he went home and called all their friends, hoping that Monica was just sneaking off to Rachel, Phoebe, or Ross for sympathy, but no one had any idea where she had been, and they all worried.  
  
Joey told Chandler to wait for Monica to come home and just ask her what was going on. "Maybe she's at her parents' house, maybe she's just taking long drives in the Porsche, maybe she's planning to surprise you with some big anniversary gift..."  
  
Chandler just shook his head, already disillusioned. Thinking that Monica had possibly gone back to Richard, Chandler headed over to Richard's place and yelled accusations at him. Richard claimed complete innocence, and added that he was terribly sorry if there *was* something wrong with their marriage. Then Richard's wife came home and confirmed that Richard had an alibi with her for all the nights that Monica has been missing.  
  
Chandler was unconvinced. "You're his wife! You're just sticking up for him!"  
  
She slapped Chandler and showed him undeniable proof of a big ophthalmologist conference in Mexico that she and Richard had been to, for a whole week during Monica's missing time. There were photos, and everything. "Whoever she's with, it's not my husband!"  
  
Miserable and defeated, Chandler went home again and found Monica already back and asleep in their bed. Instead of waking her, he fumed and decided that tomorrow night, he would follow her and find out where she went whenever she left the restaurant.  
  
The next evening, Chandler stayed as far out of sight as possible during his pursuit, so when Monica headed upstairs into a strange apartment building, Chandler temporarily lost track of her and had to go around asking people in the building if they recognized his wallet picture of Monica; some people said that she frequented this building, but it took a while to find someone who knew which apartment she visited.  
  
By the time that Chandler located the right apartment, he was angry enough to break down the door, and he caught Monica and Don in bed together.  
  
A big fight erupted, especially about the fact that it was Don; Chandler had not forgotten him as the British, cheese-loving guy that Phoebe had claimed was Monica's soul mate. Don tried to take all the blame for the affair, but Chandler bitterly accused Monica of wanting a baby bad enough to cheat on him. Then he stormed off angrily, leaving Monica sobbing with her guilt. 


	3. Too Close for Comfort

Joey was sitting alone that night, learning lines for his latest movie, when Chandler burst into the apartment. Joey turned and put down the script. "Whoa, what's the matter?"  
  
"Monica's cheating on me."  
  
"What?!" Joey jumped up in shock. He sat Chandler down with him and asked if he was sure about this. "Did she actually admit that when you asked her?"  
  
"I didn't have to ask her!" Chandler explained about catching them together and the shouting match afterward.  
  
Joey could hardly believe it. "Man, I knew you guys were having problems, but I never thought she'd cheat. I'm so sorry."  
  
"It's not your fault. I was so stupid! I thought she was just avoiding me by working all the time. No wonder she kept smelling like cheese!"  
  
"Come on, you couldn't expect something like this! I mean, trying for a baby, it should be a happy time for you guys."  
  
"It should be, but it just seems like we keep having more fights than ever, and nothing makes her happy! Like when I tell her the doctor wants her to she gain some weight to help her fertility, but she thinks I'm trying to make her fat and insecure again!"  
  
After ranting about their fights for a while, Chandler broke down miserably and asked if he had somehow driven Monica into this, like he had with Kathy years ago.  
  
"Hey, no, it's not your fault! You're a great husband. You don't deserve this."  
  
"Then what? What is it? Why is she sleeping with another guy? Am I not good enough for her? Am I so ugly compared to perfect hunks like Richard and Don?"  
  
"No, no! She's lucky to have you, Chandler. You're the best." Joey hugged him and rubbed his back comfortingly.  
  
Chandler shook his head. "I should've known we couldn't last! I mean, me with somebody like her? Who was I kidding?"  
  
"Hey, hey!" Joey protested. "Stop that! There's nothing wrong with you."  
  
"Then why is she cheating on me? How could she do this?"  
  
"I don't know!" Joey still found the betrayal shocking. "Maybe Monica's gone crazy or something. I don't know how this happened, but I do know there's gonna be hell to pay. You want me to go kick that guy's ass?"  
  
Chandler was too heartbroken to think about revenge. "I thought she loved me," he cried.  
  
"I thought so too," Joey whispered, holding him closer and hating to see him so hurt.  
  
All the insecurities of Chandler's younger years were returning to him in full force. "First I thought Janice was my soul mate, then Mon, but now--" he choked up, "now I'm gonna die alone!"  
  
"No way! Don't talk like that."  
  
"How should I talk, huh? This was my last chance for love!"  
  
"Stop it!" Joey shook him forcibly and met his eyes. "Come on, you're always too hard on yourself, Chandler. You think everything's doomed because of your parents' divorce, and with every girlfriend before Monica, you'd find stupid reasons to break up. I mean, you could've kept any one of them if you'd really wanted to, just like me."  
  
"Yeah, right! You said I repel women."  
  
"I was only joking!" Joey regretted going along with the gang's running joke that Chandler was a loser. "You know what I really think? I think you're funny and smart, and anybody would be lucky to have you. Ross is the dude who can't flirt, not you. I mean, you stole Kathy right from me, remember? And, and that Dutch girl picked you, and Janice kept coming back to you over and over."  
  
"And Monica only slept with me because you weren't there in London!"  
  
Joey had no answer for that.  
  
Chandler sobbed wretchedly, and Joey held him tight again. He caressed his hair and kept murmuring all the reassurances that Monica wasn't there to give him anymore. But, while touching Chandler and gazing into his eyes, Joey somehow forgot himself. His comforting suddenly turned into a kiss, and so much more. 


	4. Taking Advantage

The morning after, Joey woke up to find himself naked in bed with Chandler. He jumped a little and gulped, remembering everything that they'd done during that surreal night. Even when Chandler had hesitated and wasn't exactly sure of how to proceed, Joey had quickly offered to do the things that his sluttier and more experienced girlfriends had often done for him. Joey's eagerness in bed had surprised both of them.  
  
Now Joey didn't know what to do anymore. He wondered if this was what it was like when Chandler and Monica first slept together in London.  
  
Just then, Chandler woke up also and glanced at him silently.  
  
Joey felt horribly guilty. "I-I shouldn't have taken advantage like that. I-I, uh--"  
  
Chandler stopped Joey's stammering and hugged him. "No, it's all right. It's more than all right. I mean, that was... amazing. I didn't think you'd do that, for me. You're--you're one hell of an actor."  
  
Joey mumbled dismissively and avoided meeting his eyes.  
  
Chandler kept thanking him and saying how much he needed that comfort, surprising as it was. Clearly, he thought of their night together as an extraordinary, one-time occurrence.  
  
Joey didn't argue with him.  
  
Then Chandler finally changed the subject. "Hey, can I, um, can I move back in with you a while? I can't be with Monica right now."  
  
He hesitated.  
  
"Oh! I mean, don't worry. I understand that I'll stay in my old bedroom, not yours. I won't impose on you again."  
  
Joey shrugged and inhaled sharply. "Stay, if you want."  
  
"Thank you!" He hugged Joey again before he got up from the bed and reached for his clothes.  
  
He and Joey took turns with the shower, just like in the old days when they were roommates. Then while they breakfasted in the kitchen, the phone rang and Chandler answered it without thinking.  
  
"Hello? Monica!"  
  
She insisted that she never planned to have an affair, she was just feeling lonely and vulnerable, but Chandler cut her off angrily and dismissed her pleas for forgiveness. He hung up on her, then put the answering machine on.  
  
Joey sat there silently and didn't know what to do or say. He went off to his movie set, feeling wretched and distracted. 


	5. Separate Ways

That morning, Chandler packed some clothes from his and Monica's apartment, then moved back into his old bedroom at Joey's. Monica returned from Don's apartment, where she had broken things off, and tried speaking with her husband repeatedly, but he refused to unlock the door.  
  
Going crazy, Monica called the rest of the gang and told them what had happened. She didn't even ask for their sympathy, telling them to hear his side of the story if they wanted to; in fact, if someone could report back to her what he was feeling, maybe she could figure out how to mend things. The gang felt conflicted and shocked about the affair, but Phoebe and Ross came by, trying to at least bridge the gap and get Chandler talking to Monica again. Their efforts failed, however.  
  
Monica gave him some time to cool down, but made sure to inform him through the others that she and Don were over, and she would do anything to make it up to Chandler.  
  
Chandler remained unresponsive to her and obliviously continued to live with Joey as the days and weeks passed, never imagining that their one night of passion meant far more to Joey than he let on.  
  
Some of the gang suggested that Monica and Chandler seek marriage counseling to work on the deeper issues behind Monica's affair, but Chandler insisted that he didn't want to ever see Monica again.  
  
"So what *do* you want?" Ross asked. "What happened to wanting a baby? What happened to loving my sister till death do you part?"  
  
"Tell her that! She betrayed me."  
  
"She made a mistake! She admits that. But this is a marriage we're talking about, and you're supposed to be an adult. Do you want to throw it all away?"  
  
"What about all the years you threw away with Rachel by sleeping with Chloe?"  
  
"We were on a break!" Ross stormed out and slammed the door on Chandler, finding it very hard to remain friends with him just now.  
  
All the friends were having a difficult time coping, whether they decided to get involved or remain neutral. Joey in particular looked perpetually caught in the crossfire, which was natural, since he lived right there in the battle zone.  
  
Phoebe felt bad for ever introducing Don to Monica, and for mentioning her soul mate theory, but Rachel blamed Don, who after all knew that Monica was a married woman. "No one dragged him into bed!"  
  
Monica could see the toll that this was taking on everybody, so she finally gave up apologizing and asked for a divorce, which Chandler quickly agreed to.  
  
"Great! Why don't you call up Ross's lawyer now, and I'll sign right on the dotted line!"  
  
"So will I!"  
  
"I hope you and Don are happy together with your perfect little kids!"  
  
"We will be!" She slammed the door after her, but in the hallway, her brave face crumbled and she started to cry again. She took the wedding ring off her finger and walked away. 


	6. Without You

When she told the rest of the gang at Central Perk, they were devastated.  
  
"No! You can't divorce. It's you guys! You were our role models of what a perfect couple should be. First my parents, now this!" Rachel started to cry.  
  
Ross hugged his sister. "This is so wrong! I wish that somehow *I* could just get divorced again, and you wouldn't have to."  
  
"So what's going to happen?" Phoebe asked. "Is he just staying with Joey permanently now?"  
  
"We didn't discuss it, but I think so."  
  
Phoebe turned to him. "Joey? Did he ask you if he could stay?"  
  
Joey sat there, looking unhappy and deeply troubled. "No--no, he didn't say anything."  
  
Phoebe leaned nearer. "God, you look terrible! Are you getting any sleep over there?"  
  
Joey shook his head numbly.  
  
"You know, Chandler shouldn't just assume he can just be your roommate again. He should know how hard this divorce is gonna be for you. You should say something."  
  
"No," Joey protested. "No, 'cause, even if I still see you guys, he thinks of me as the only one who's really on his side. I--I have to be there for him."  
  
Monica nodded with understanding. "I know. You're his best friend. You're the one he turns to for everything. Just, just take care of him, will you?"  
  
Joey got all choked up, and could only nod weakly as he got up from the couch and rushed out the door.  
  
Phoebe thought to herself that both Chandler and Monica were asking far too much of Joey. "Well, um," she stood up, "I've gotta go massage somebody. Bye."  
  
"Bye!" they answered and hugged each other comfortingly. 


	7. Belong to Me

Phoebe went upstairs and knocked on Joey and Chandler's door.  
  
"Who is it?" Chandler asked cautiously.  
  
"It's Phoebe. I'm just looking for Joey. Did he come up here?"  
  
"No, I haven't seen him since this morning."  
  
"Oh. Hey, you know what? Maybe I can talk to you about this. Can I come in?"  
  
Chandler hesitated. He had become defensive and distant with everyone besides Joey, ever since the night that he caught Monica cheating. But Chandler reconsidered and opened the door. "Sure, come in."  
  
Phoebe entered and cleared her throat awkwardly. "So, um, Monica told us about the divorce."  
  
"Yeah," he nodded. "Yeah, that's the final decision."  
  
"And, and I respect that, Chandler. I--I really do. It's your life."  
  
"I appreciate that."  
  
"But, um, okay. So where--where exactly do you intend to live after the divorce? I mean, I assume Monica's gonna keep her grandmother's apartment."  
  
"Yeah," Chandler nodded. "I can get along fine over here with Joey."  
  
"Really, with Joey?"  
  
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"  
  
"Okay, first of all, did you even ask him if you could stay?"  
  
"Well, no. I--I just assumed--"  
  
"Ah ha! That's it. See, you just assume. This is a big permanent change in his life, not just yours, and you can't just *assume* that he's okay with it."  
  
"But--but he never said that he didn't want me here."  
  
"How could he? Chandler, you're his best friend. He doesn't want to reject you or hurt you right now, but someone has got to look out for him if he won't. You aren't the only one suffering in this divorce, okay? I mean, letting you stay over while you figure things out is one thing, but if you stay here permanently, right across the hall from your ex-wife, how do you think that's going to affect him?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, remember how you started smoking when your parents got divorced? And then when Ross and Rachel broke up and couldn't get along, the trauma started all up again? You're going to tear Joey apart, not knowing how to be friends with both of you."  
  
Chandler became defensive. "Why, why should he be friends with both of us? He's *my* friend. He belongs to me."  
  
"What?! Do you hear yourself? Joey's not your possession! Or, or a child to claim custody over. He loves you both. He was the minister at your wedding. How can you ask him to choose?"  
  
"He already chose. I'm here, aren't I?"  
  
"Chandler! Don't you see how miserable Joey looks lately? How little sleep he's getting? He has to sit here day after day and endure all the shouting matches going on, and it will only get worse with your divorce." She shook her head. "If you want out of your marriage, that's fine with me, but at least stay at a hotel or something until it's all over with. Forcing Joey to go through all this with you is just selfish and mean."  
  
"You know what's selfish and mean? Yelling at a man who's divorcing his cheating wife!"  
  
Phoebe looked at him with pity and walked out the door.  
  
"Yeah, you get out of here! Maybe I don't want to see you again either, Phoebe!"  
  
"Your loss," she scoffed and slammed the door. 


	8. Change of Heart

Chandler sat down and brooded until Joey finally returned from the movie set. Chandler took a long, hard look at him as he came in, and he could see now what Phoebe had meant. Far from being his usual carefree self, Joey looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.  
  
"Hi," Joey spoke, subdued.  
  
"Hi," Chandler answered. "Listen, um, how do you feel about the divorce?"  
  
Joey winced, then shrugged. "Whatever you want."  
  
"Whatever *I* want? What about--?" Chandler hesitated, then got to his feet and paced around the room. "Joey, do you, do you think maybe I should move out of here?"  
  
Joey looked up. "What? Why?"  
  
"If I stay here, I'm just putting you in the middle of it, you know? Maybe I should go."  
  
"But--but where?"  
  
"Well, I don't think any of the others want me moving in with them. I guess I could find a hotel for right now, then look for an apartment somewhere."  
  
"You're--you're really leaving me?"  
  
He shrugged. "Yeah. You grow up, you get divorced, you move forward with your life instead of backwards."  
  
"I'm backwards?" Joey asked softly, looking hurt.  
  
"I mean, it makes sense, you know? I can't stand to be around Monica right now, so why live across the hall from her? I should be somewhere that I won't see her all the time. Besides, having a depressed divorced guy around here will just cramp your style with the ladies."  
  
"But when will I see you?"  
  
"I don't know. When you're not hanging out with all of them, call me, and we'll get together at my place or something."  
  
Joey looked alarmed. "You mean you won't just come by anymore? This is like, goodbye?"  
  
Chandler shook his head. "No, not forever, Joe. Come on, you're my friend. My best friend." He pulled Joey close and hugged him.  
  
Joey held on tight. "I'll miss you," he whispered, heartbroken.  
  
"I'll miss you too." As they kept embracing, Chandler become teary-eyed and could not help asking quietly, "You--you were my friend first, right? Not Monica's. I mean, we're still, we're still...?"  
  
"Yeah," Joey swallowed and nodded. "Yeah."  
  
Chandler felt better and sighed against his shoulder. "I mean, you never slept with Monica! And, and that's not even the same. What you did for me, that was... that was special."  
  
Joey could not find any words to reply.  
  
"Joey?" Chandler finally pulled back to look at him.  
  
Joey quickly turned and hid his face. He walked away from Chandler and tried to compose himself in the corner of the room.  
  
Chandler stared at him. "Was I, was I not supposed to mention that? Joey?" He came closer, feeling anxious. "I--I never told anybody about that. I wouldn't want to ruin your reputation. That's just between us, you know?"  
  
Joey nodded, keeping his back to him.  
  
"I'm sorry." Chandler didn't know what else to say. He didn't want to lose Joey's friendship, especially now, and he miserably waited for some response.  
  
Joey found his voice at last, though he struggled, "What, um, what was that night? Besides, you know, amazing, and, um, special?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You said I was a good actor. Did you--were you acting too? When I was kissing you there and you moaned, 'Joey', was that just so you didn't have to say, 'Monica'? Huh?"  
  
Chandler stared at him, shocked and amazed all over again. "You--you weren't acting? That wasn't just pity sex? But you even let me, um," he gulped. "You *helped* me, um..."  
  
Joey nodded again and shrugged sadly. "I guess, I guess it's a good thing you're already moving out of here."  
  
"Joey!" Chandler rushed over to him and hugged him tight. "Joey, how could I fake that? Huh? How could I risk asking you for more, if you'd only say no? I just, I thought that you wouldn't want to continue in the morning. Or if you did, it would only be out of pity, and I didn't want that. I just..." He shook his head and sighed, "That was the most loving, wonderful..." He kissed Joey's cheek and clung to him.  
  
Finally Joey turned to Chandler, and they met each other's eyes wordlessly. Then Joey leaned near and they kissed again, shyly at first. Soon Chandler kissed back firmly, and whispered, "Joey, can I, can we do that again?"  
  
Joey returned the kiss and pulled Chandler into his bedroom. 


	9. Like Destiny

So Chandler changed his mind and continued to live with Joey, who slept much better now that the unexpected passion between them had been resolved so happily.  
  
The next morning at Central Perk, Phoebe noticed the difference in Joey, and found it weird that he asked her to drop by again so that Chandler could apologize to her about their earlier fight.  
  
"Really? He wants to apologize?" she asked skeptically.  
  
"Yeah. Did you, um, did you really tell him to move out?"  
  
"Joey, I was just looking out for you!"  
  
"I know, but..." He shrugged. "Could you just talk to him, please?"  
  
"Okay, whatever." She left reluctantly.  
  
Now that the divorce was officially under way, the gang all resigned themselves to the situation and sat together tensely, murmuring words of comfort to Monica. Joey did not know how to tell anybody about him and Chandler. He thought that maybe he should tell Monica, but then again, would that hurt her?  
  
He didn't know what to do. Later, just as Joey was leaving for the movie set again, Phoebe returned from her talk with Chandler and caught up with him.  
  
"You're sleeping with him?" she whispered as she walked with him down the street.  
  
"He told you?"  
  
"Yeah. He said that I was right, he should pay more attention to you and treat you better. I said, 'Great! Are you moving out, then?' and he said no. So I told him that he hadn't heard a word I said, and suddenly he's all, 'I can't leave him now, 'cause I'm sleeping with him.' Just like that." Phoebe shrugged. "It, um, it takes some getting used to."  
  
"Did he tell you how it started?"  
  
She nodded. "And good luck, by the way, being with a hypocrite cheater! Why didn't one of you mention this to Monica?"  
  
"I didn't know how. Besides, he didn't cheat until after he found Monica in bed with a guy. What did she find out about him, huh?"  
  
"Hey, it was a bad time in their marriage, and she was depressed about not having a baby. Plus, how could she help falling for her soul mate?"  
  
"You really think he's her soul mate?"  
  
"Yeah. They met again, like destiny. I mean, I know, if they were falling in love, she should've straight out asked Chandler for a divorce, but her feelings were all confused, and they're only human. Just like you and Chandler apparently."  
  
"So should I tell her?"  
  
"Let me think about it. Maybe I'll break the news for you."  
  
"I'd appreciate it."  
  
She sighed and looked at Joey. "You really like him, huh? And, and this isn't gonna be some on-the-rebound-oh-sorry-I-toyed-with-your-feelings kind of thing, is it?"  
  
"After the first night, I thought that was it, but not anymore. I just, I haven't able to stop thinking about him, and when he was going to move out, he couldn't let go of me, and it just felt so... right, you know?"  
  
"Like destiny?"  
  
He smiled. "Yeah, I guess so."  
  
"Okay, but if he ever hurts you, I'm gonna kick his ass, and if you try to stop me, I'll kick yours too!" Phoebe kissed him on the cheek and said goodbye, then went off find Monica. 


	10. Breaking the News

"Monica?"  
  
She was sitting alone in her apartment, depressed and curled up on her couch.  
  
Phoebe came over and hugged her. "Monica, how are you?"  
  
"Okay, considering that I'm about to be divorced."  
  
"Did you call Don like I told you to?"  
  
"No, Pheebs," she shook her head firmly. "I can't see him again."  
  
"Why? Your marriage is over."  
  
"It would just make Chandler think that he was right all along, that I stopped loving him, that I just wanted a baby, that I never felt guilty."  
  
"So, what, you're gonna punish yourself and feel twice as guilty? Come on, don't do this."  
  
"I was a married woman, Phoebe! As soon the friendship stopped being innocent, as soon as Don said he loved me, I should have ended it."  
  
"You're human. Look, what if, what if Chandler was cheating on you too?"  
  
She sat up. "Chandler was cheating on me?"  
  
"Hypothetically. What if, um, the night that he found you and Don together, Chandler was so upset that he went and hooked up with somebody? You know, like the time that Ross slept with that girl from the Xerox place, only it turned out that Rachel wasn't cheating on him with Mark."  
  
"Why are we talking about this?"  
  
"Just tell me, if Chandler *had* cheated on you, would you stop feeling so guilty, and run back to Don?"  
  
"I don't know. It's unusual circumstances, and I still love Chandler. I mean, I wanted him to forgive *me* for cheating. I should be able to forgive him."  
  
"Well, he's not forgiving you! Okay, what if, what if it wasn't just anybody that he slept with? What if it was one of us? What if they're doing it again and being all happy while you're sitting here moping?"  
  
"What? Who? Rachel would never--" She gasped. "Did you--did you sleep with him?"  
  
"No! It's Joey, okay? I'm sorry, it's Joey."  
  
"J-Joey?"  
  
Phoebe nodded. "So, cheater, and not straight. Don looking any better now?" 


	11. Goodbye, Guilt

After Monica heard everything from Phoebe, she sat there in disbelief for a long time, and was hurt that Chandler could just replace her that quickly. But how could she be mad at Joey, who had suffered along with everybody?  
  
Finally, as she sat there alone, she nervously picked up the phone and called Don.  
  
He was surprised to hear her voice, especially after their emotional, and seemingly final, goodbye that last morning.  
  
She told him that she and Chandler were divorcing.  
  
"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. Are you all right?"  
  
"No," she was in tears.  
  
"Can I help somehow? Can I send you some flowers?"  
  
"Don, listen. He, um, he's already got somebody else."  
  
"The bastard! I know I shouldn't talk, but I love you, and he's obviously just doing it to hurt you."  
  
She hoped that wasn't true, for Joey's sake. Don didn't have all the facts anyway.  
  
She swallowed and continued nervously, "Don, um, if I, if I ask you to come over, can we just talk? Can you just listen and hold me?"  
  
"Of course! Whatever you need."  
  
"I can't promise you anything else, you know? I mean, it wouldn't be fair to you--"  
  
"I know, I know. I'm a big boy," he assured her.  
  
She took a breath and finally said, "Bring some tissues."  
  
"I'll be right there," he replied and hung up.  
  
She sat back and waited for him, hoping that she hadn't made a mistake. Sure, Phoebe was convinced that Don was her soul mate, but Monica couldn't be sure, especially in such a clouded emotional state.  
  
Monica sighed and folded her arms around herself, shivering a little. She could remember all the evenings that she'd spent with Don, both before and after that first guilty kiss. Don had always been incredibly kind and loving and wonderful. He understood her guilt and her occasional tears while in his arms, and he would whisper that she should blame him completely for being weak for her.  
  
Monica wondered now if their affair could possibly prove stronger than mere passion in a moment of weakness, if it could actually last and become what her marriage should have been. Maybe she should trust Don enough to try. Maybe she should believe in soul mates. 


End file.
